Bojinov relieved at return

CITY striker Valeri Bojinov's spirits are up after returning to the club's Carrington training ground following his knee operation. The Bulgarian international is hoping for a January return after injuring cruciate knee ligaments early on in the 1-0 derby victory over United.

CITY striker Valeri Bojinov's spirits are up after returning to the club's Carrington training ground following his knee operation.

The Bulgarian international is hoping for a January return after injuring cruciate knee ligaments early on in the 1-0 derby victory over United.

He told his club's website: “I’m OK now, first of all I’m much better in my mind because I’m back in the training environment with my team mates.

"Being back in the changing rooms, seeing the manager makes me feel more like a player again and I’m very happy to be back here. After the operation it’s nice to be here because this environment’s familiar to me.”

Blues boss Sven-Goran Eriksson is refusing to set a timescale on Bojinov's recovery, preferring instead to ensure the forward - once the youngest foreign player ever to appear in Serie A - is fully fit before he faces the demands of Premier League life once more.

However, according to City fitness coach Stefano Marrone, City fans could be in for a very welcome post-Christmas present.

"Players need targets for motivation, so anything around January would be great," Marrone told www.mcfc.co.uk

"That would mean being fully fit for normal training in December and then he would be ready for the Premier League in January.

"We are still at a very early stage of his recovery, so it is difficult to say for certain, but that is our target."

Meanwhile, Eriksson has spoken of his admiration for former City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips ahead of the Blues' trip to Chelsea.

He told The Sun: "I'd personally open the gate for him tomorrow if he wishes to return here. I won't pay his salary personally but I'll certainly open the gate."